This invention relates to bicycles, and, more particularly, to a support brace connected between the arms of the handlebar of a bicycle.
Bicycle handlebars include a transverse bar adapted for mounting to the front fork of a bicycle, and integral, spaced bicycle arms each having gripping handle. The spaced arms of some handlebars are elongated to increase the overall length of the handlebar, and, in other handlebars, the arms are spaced relatively far apart at divergent angles from the transverse bar. Both of these handlebar designs may require a support brace connected between the handlebar arms to provide the necessary stiffness and avoid bending of the handlebar arms.
Handlebar support braces are usually formed of steel tubing extending betwen the handlebar arms and welded or brazed thereto. The tubing is first cut to the correct length and then its ends are shaped to conform to the contour of the handlebar arms in preparation for welding. The steel tubing forming the handlebar brace may be circular in cross section along its entire length, or, alternatively, the steel tubing may have a circular cross section formed with flattened end portions adapted to mount to the handlebar arms.
One major problem with many prior art handlebar braces, including both those with a continuous circular cross section and those having flattened ends, is that they have a closed interior without any drain openings. Once the ends of the handlebar braces are welded to the handlebar arms, cleaning or plating solutions are applied to the brace prior to the application of a chrome or painted finish coating. If the brazing or welding failed to completely close the connection between the end of the handlebar braces and arms, the cleaning or plating solutions enter the closed interior of the handlebar brace and cannot drain out of the brace except through the weldment. After the finish coating or painting of the handlebar is applied, the solutions often seep back out the voids in the weldment which ruins the appearance of the handlebar.
One solution to this problem has been to perforate the handlebar brace at either end to allow the cleaning or plating solutions to enter the interior of the brace and drain back out prior to finish coating of the handlebar. This method does not completely eliminate the problem because some solution is usually retained in the interior of the brace and subsequently leaks from the drain holes to discolor the brace in the vicinity of the drain holes.